Not All Eyeglasses Are Created Equal

Who doesn’t love a good deal, especially when it comes to eyeglasses? Glasses can be expensive depending on a lot of factors, such as the brand and the required prescription. Sometimes, it’s just easier for you to pick up a ready-made pair of glasses from the drugstore and be on your way.

But, you may want to hold off on that. Though your budget may be sighing with relief, your eyes are silently screaming. These straight off the rack glasses can do more harm than good for your eyesight in the long run. There are a few hidden dangers that can affect everyone who purchases this type of eyewear.

Dangers: The Wrong Prescription

There are several risks involved when you purchase pre-made glasses at absurdly cheap prices. Remember when your parents or doctor warned you to not use other people’s glasses? Buying a generic pair will produce the same dangerous result. They weren’t meant for your eyes, don’t wear them.

Your eyes are unique. So unique, in fact, that you could have two eyes with two different needs. This is the first danger. These ready-made glasses often come with only one prescription for both eyes. Oftentimes, that prescription isn’t even the right one. According to one study, 44.8 percent of glasses purchased online had incorrect prescriptions.

Another danger relating to the uniqueness of the eye is that the distance between your eyes are different than the person sitting next to you. With ready-made glasses, this distance is made to fit the general face, but pays no attention to the center of the individual’s eye. If the prescription isn’t in the right spot in the lens, you’ll have more trouble seeing with eyeglasses than without.

These misplaced prescriptions on the lens can harmfully affect someone’s depth perception, making it hard to use stairs. With that in mind, can you imagine someone driving with these skewed prescriptions? Doing so puts everyone on the road, including the driver, at risk. If you need eyeglasses for driving, it’s worth paying a little extra for the proper pair.

Incorrect prescriptions can also cause headaches, blurred vision and double vision. The right pair of eyeglasses (purchased from an optometrist) will have the effect that they should have – clearer eyesight and better living. Not stress and aches.

Poor Quality Materials

Cheap, off-the-rack glasses are most often made using low quality materials. The American Optometric Association found that 19 percent of adult lenses and 25 percent of child lenses failed the impact resistance test. You shouldn’t have to walk around in fear that one slight knock of the glasses may cause your lenses to shatter into your eyes.

An accident like this will require medical attention and can lead to severe physical damage to the eye. This can lead to loss of vision, eye infections and torn parts of the eye.

Because the material in ready-made glasses is of such poor quality, chances are the glasses also won’t be coming with any UV protection. Without this protection, you are putting your eyes at risk of developing eye diseases such as cataracts, eye cancer and growths on the eyes. Many high quality glasses come with UV protection where the lenses adjust depending on the amount of natural light.

High Costs of Eyeglasses

Sure, the price of eyeglasses offered by your optometrist may seem like an unnecessary expense, especially when you can get them for a fraction of the price down at your local pharmacy. You walk in, grab a pair you fancy, pay and leave. No waiting weeks for your lenses and frame to be ready; you can start using your pre-made glasses straight away.

All that may sound like a pretty great deal, but you need to think long term. These ready-made glasses are inexpensive, but are more likely to break. As a result, you may end up paying more in the long run if you have to keep replacing them.

Not to mention that the lifetime cost of glasses far outweighs all the problems that come with ignored vision problems or having to resort to surgery.

Buying and waiting for the proper pair of glasses is a health investment. You pay for the glasses once and you’re done. Unless something catastrophic happens to your glasses (in which case, you can buy insurance to cover them), chances are you won’t be paying for them again. As for your health, well, you don’t want to skimp when it comes to that.

Improve Vision Naturally

Perhaps the bills have piled up this month quicker than anticipated, making your eyeglasses your last priority. We understand completely, which is why we have found some natural alternatives. The ability to see shouldn’t be a luxury. If you can’t afford eyeglasses and don’t want to put your eyes at risk with ready-made ones, try some of these natural remedies.

The best natural way to improve and maintain good vision is to eat bright foods. Brightly colored foods are packed with essential nutrients like vitamins A, C, and E, lutein, and zeaxanthin, which are found in leafy greens, egg yolks, carrots, and other highly pigmented foods.

Fresh berries, like blueberries, goji berries, and blackberries which are high in antioxidants, are all foods that will help improve your vision. They also have natural anti-inflammatory properties which is good news for swollen eyes.

Your eyes, like the rest of your body, need rest. The best rest you can get is sleep. A good night’s sleep can do wonders for your eyes. They’ll be less likely to strain and cause headaches during the day. Tired eyes are more susceptible to this.

Sometimes, we can’t control whether or not we get a good night’s rest. If you find yourself tossing and turning one night, take a break at some point during your day to place two slices of cooled cucumbers on your eyes. This will give them a refreshing and much needed boost.

Eyeglasses aren’t always what they’re cracked up to be. It’s important to do your homework before rushing into any purchases. Consult your eye doctor to figure out what’s best for you. Don’t sacrifice your eyesight for discounted glasses.